Ultimate Guide to Starting Out in Business in a Box

March 18th, 2017

Categories

Menu > Home > Blog > Ultimate Guide to Starting Out in Business in a Box

As consumerism continues to grow and expand at a very fast pace, businesses are looking for new ways to keep up with the waves of demand. There are many trends emerging in the consumer world as the demand for sustainability and responsible business practices grows at the same rate as the shift in the retail format.
The market is expanding, leaving room for a growing demand for niche markets within the larger market. This means that retailers are following in the footsteps of their shoppers, switching to smaller formats, with smaller brands emerging. The problem? Small brands and niche businesses cannot always afford long leases and the financial covenants required to lease in a big shopping centre.
Enter the shipping container. This new business trend is an innovative and efficient solution for new businesses who want to start up with a bit less risk. With companies like The Box Brand, new businesses can have access to shipping container designs and customised shipping containers in a whole new way. Here are a few tips to starting out your business in a box.

Planning For Your Business

Once you’ve decided that you want to use customised shipping containers to start your business, you’ll have to come up with a business plan that will help keep you on track as you move forward and provide assistance if you should seek help with finance. Depending on the type of business, your plan could include:

Executive summary

Introduction

Marketing analysis

Intellectual Property strategy

Operations plan

Management plan

Financial plan (cost and cash flow projections)

Some other plans that you’ll need to come up with are:

Marketing plan

Export plan

Succession plan

Emergency management and recovery plan

Shipping Container Designs

The designs for your customised shipping container should be included in your business plan. You can choose between some bespoke solutions, and the team at The Box Brand will be able to assist you with shipping container designs that will be best for your business, taking into account every aspect including the industry, location, branding, etc.
Our integrated team is made up of a range of people from different backgrounds such as architects, interior designers, urban designers, planners and specialist consultants.

Obtain Finance

One of the best things about shipping container businesses is that the funds you’ll need to start the business are much lower. In fact, part of The Box Brand is GRID, low-risk retailing developers where operators can sign up for one or five years. This is a cost effective, semi-permanent development solution that will allow you more flexibility as a new business owner.
No matter what path you choose, you’ll need to figure out how to obtain finance, whether that be from personal savings, investors or a bank loan.

Odds and Ends

Once you’re ready to start your business, you’ll need to take care of the odds and ends as required by the Australian government. These include:

Register ABN, GST or other registrations and licenses.

Register business name.

Understand taxation and legal requirements.

Arrange insurance.

Set up record keeping and accounting system.

Finding and hiring employees according to the law.

You can find a complete checklist for starting a business from the Australian government here.
Looking for customised shipping container solutions for your new business?
Get in touch with The Box Brand today. We have experience creating innovative solutions and creative shipping container designs for a range of businesses across many sectors. Allow us to help with everything from design to marketing and getting the word out.